The Specifics

What street do you live on? Ridley Park.

Where does it get its name? It’s as English as a cup of tea! The name comes from Henry Nicholas Ridley who was the first scientific director of the Botanic Gardens and who introduced rubber plants to the Malay Peninsula.

Exact words you tell a taxi driver to get home? “Ridley Park, please – now, let’s turn up that 80s ballad and get all Celine Dion on the ride home!”

The lovely neighbourhood of Ridley Park

Closest MRT station? Botanic Gardens (Circle Line/ Downtown Line).

How long have you lived here? Just a few short months.

Why here? The combination of history, architecture and location, coupled with peace and quiet.

The Scene

When you walk out of your place, the first thing you see is: Jungle!

The closest store to your front door is: Jones the Grocer.

Your street would make the perfect backdrop for a remake of: Jurassic Park.

Enjoy the peaceful neighbourhood and its lush greenery

Your neighbours are great, but you wouldn’t mind a little less: We are still waiting for any downsides; so far, everyone has been very lovely and welcoming – no complaints!

The unofficial uniform of your street is: Active-wear – our street is a favourite for the dog-walking and jogging circuit.

If a celebrity moves in next door, it will most likely be: Jamie Oliver, and he will set up a veggie garden for me and cook for the neighbourhood every night. No?

When you’re in need of a dose of culture, you: Head into the Singapore Art Museum.

You’d swap houses in a second with: Given we’ve only just moved into this house I can’t even contemplate the idea of swapping houses with anyone!

Dig into modern Chinese cuisine at Chopsuey

A common myth about your neighbourhood is: There are a lot of snakes – and it’s not a myth.

If you’re ever woken up at night, it’s almost always due to: A thunderstorm.

A massive late-night rager on your street is likely to be: A private party in someone’s garden.

The Superlatives

Your hands-down favourite neighbourhood joints are: Green Door for a thirst-quenching drink outdoors, Open Farm Community for a coffee on the deck, Blu for a relaxed mid- week date and La Forketta for a pizza with the kids on a Sunday night. Then there’s Strip for a little de-fuzzing, and Affordable Style files for some homewares heaven.

You won’t find better local food than at: Long Beach Seafood.

Who wouldn’t love a hearty Italian meal?

The strangest thing you’ve ever seen on your street is: A rooster.

We love a good bargain. The best deals in your neighbourhood are: Surely it’s got to be Samy’s curry.

One thing you’d never change is: The jungle and all the birdlife.

But one thing you wouldn’t mind seeing go is: The snakes.

The city gives you $5 million to soup up your street; you use it to: Make sure no one changes a thing.

Why should your neighbourhood be featured in a guidebook? Because of its history and picturesque setting.

This is an extract from an article that first appeared in the May 2017 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase a copy for the full article, or Subscribe now so you never miss an issue!

About Lindsay Yap

Lindsay has an (un)healthy obsession with strawberries. She loves catching a good show and finding out what's new and fun in Singapore. When she's not pigging out on her favourite hawker food or catching up on sitcoms, she's dreaming of her next holiday!